A return to perhaps the band’s most frequently-played venue of the past ten years, where the town’s visitor essentials are currently to “visit the Last of the Summer Wine exhibition inside Compo’s House, stay in Nora’s Cottage or opt for a guided 10 mile tour of the area.” (Thank you, Welcome To Yorkshire). On a less jolly note, the band were supposed to have been followed the next night by the Buzzcocks…
Kennyp
Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. May post more details when sobriety kicks in. Off now to YouTube that Kilmarnock song.
22 June 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
All in all a good show from the lads… not that anything else is expected. I must see another band play at the Picturedrome in order to confirm/rule-out shenanigans from the bloke who does the PA, as NB57’s vocals always seem a bit muffled at this venue. Certainly when compared to the Leeds uni show in late 2016.
22 June 2019
EXXO
A very special evening indeed. Great to see Geoff at the gig! Conversed with Andy Kershaw beforehand, saw Stuart Maconie during, but afterwards starstruck by meeting a true radio legend … the one and only Reg from Swindon!
22 June 2019
dic aberdaron
“…complete control even over this song”
tune of tunes
22 June 2019
Sevoflurane
After 33 years of listening to HMHB it was about time I saw them live. Didn’t expect to see Nigel minus guitar but it was an excellent gig.
22 June 2019
wanna
well prob the best I have ever seen them, great set list, nigel seems to have taken up the front man role like the veritable Freddie Mercury of the post punk indie genre, ditching the guitar in favour of manipulating the mic lead , high kicks and low stoops aplenty , he must have been exhausted by the end- what was the song he was talking about with old people following me? all in all brilliant night – cheers guys
22 June 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
The song was by Angle. Now queued up on my YouTube app but not played as I didn’t want to alarm my parents! They were first-time attendees and enjoyed it, though missed out in some of the lyrical witticisms due to the slight distortion.
At times NB57 seemed as if he was about to turn into the bloke from Australian rockers Midnight Oil…
22 June 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Andy Injured Buzzard.
Tony Gipton.
Howie.
Nigel Exxo.
Nigel Blackwell.
Neil Crossley.
John Dr. Desperate.
Roger Green.
Karen.
Tony.
Karl the lead guitarist.
Graham and Sarah.
Ian and Marianna.
The poor girl who broke her wrist.
Daz.
Carl the drummer.
God Bless you all and Thanks for a wonderful night.
See you all in the Devil’s Arse….
22 June 2019
Fred Hobson
It must be 29 years since I first saw the Biscuits at Subterania at the rearranged gig. I don’t think I have ever heard them play better than they did last night. The new line up has taken them to a new level. The venue and the crowd were also fantastic. What a wonderful atmosphere. Also lovely to speak to Geoff.
22 June 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
Also, where’s my medal?
22 June 2019
twistedkitemike
Another fine evening north of Watford Gap. Holmfirth was balmy, the lads were on fire and a more than respectable effort from the Moshers.
Lots of banter from Nigel in his “new” role as guitar-less front man. Health reasons and have Karl’s exceptionally competent fretwork are, it seems, the explanation. It does leave more time for banter, so some pearls of wisdom will not doubt be recounted by Team Roger. Furious scribbling was the order of the day. Nigel gave him a few head’s up.
For those interested in the order of play, ’twas as follows: –
Westward Ho!
Bat Walk
Bob W
Korfball
Terminus
Monmore
Mountain Bikes
Colombia
Fred
Checkatrade
Bane
Evening Sun
Bob Todd
Knobheads
NSD
Left Lyrics
Mileage Chart
Light Tunnel
Umberstone
DPAK
Vatican
Trad Arr Tune
Trumpton
JDOG
AOR
………………………..
Time Flies By
Complete Control (The Clash)
Every Time a Bell Rings
I don’t think I’d have guessed Mileage Chart if you’d have given me all night to suggest which obscure track that they might have played, and very nice to hear Monmore getting a run out. It’s not a criticism, because Nigel fluffs the odd line here and there most nights, but he messed up the “Oranjeboom” and “Mart Poom” rhyming couplet in Left Lyrics, which is one of my favourites.
I probably should do this for every gig, but my particular apologies to the lady in front of me, as my voice seems to have deteriorated to utterly tuneless, but I was still unashamedly belting out the lyrics. I hope your aural senses have recovered.
Nigel has also taken to walking on his knees towards the end of the performance. I’m not sure why, apart from to show us that he can. It’s not easy, I’ve tried it at home and it hurts. My knees have seen too much action in their time, not as much as your average carpet-fitter, but even so, it’s no mean feat.
I could go on, but that’s what Roger is for. He’ll have got it all….. For sure.
Roll on The Devil’s Arse.
Mike……………………..
22 June 2019
twistedkitemike
I also forgot to mention that the walk-on music was the theme tune from “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Absolute quality.
Mike……..
22 June 2019
The harbinger of nothing
Good grief! What a set list!! I’m not sure I’ve seen a better one.
I would have loved to hear Westward Ho!, Knobheads and Monmore (it amazes me that it’s not a regular), but particularly Mileage Chart – it’s close to being my favourite HMHB song. I believe that was only its second airing in a live environment. You lucky people.
23 June 2019
Lux inferior
Hurrah.
With the site being down, I got my fix by reading Roger’s Holmfirth review on Gez’s site 27 times, and can now repeat it from memory word for word.
26 June 2019
NOT CARRIE-ANNE
Picturedrome, Holmfirth, Fri 21sh Jun 2019 (23/6/19)
Roger Green:
A whole week passed by from the Edinburgh show to this one. Not much to report in the meantime.
I’ve been reading Michael King’s History Of New Zealand. My mind was diverted in the direction of HMHB when he mentioned Polynesians sailing from a place he wrote as Hawai’i. That’s not how everyone would spell it, of course. Further investigation revealed that the author was making use of the okina, “a mark common to languages of the South Seas, and indicates a glottal stop between two vowel sounds”. The thought of ringing up every single Pizza outlet sprang to mind. “You need an okina, mate.” However even more research revealed that “Hawaiian” is actually an anglicised word, so maybe no correction is required. (And actually, it was Karen who did the research.)
The only note from the week since Edinburgh related to the Women’s football World Cup. I noted a complete lack of intrigue in the pool games. It all seemed very straightforward really. The same applied to our journey to Holmfirth. I don’t usually come to these things by car, except when we travel here. Today I was onto the A638 and into Wakefield where I met Karen when she got off her train at Kirkgate station. We had a drink at the excellent café there. The key ingredient was a “Colombian guest coffee”, which may explain why we both perked up for the drive on the A636 to Holmfirth. Isn’t that what really made the country famous?
Our first port of call, as usual, was the Daisy Lane Bookshop. Bargains galore. I picked up a book following Geoff Boycott’s career playing cricket for Yorkshire. Also, a “Limited Edition Collector’s Special” of Q. The 100 Best Record Covers Of All Time. This is a collection rather than a chart rundown. And we noticed the publication date was 2001. The likes of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Never Mind were in there. But so was This Leaden Pall. The blurb featured quite a few quotes from Nigel, describing it as “an uncomplicated process” and saying that “anything clever’s been stolen”. I noted that the photograph of the lamppost was taken by Gareth, who used to always do the sound at HMHB gigs. I wonder what he’s up to, these days.
Another regular point of call here is Hollowgate Fisheries. It’s positioned right by the river. We watched a mink hassling a mallard who was shepherding her ducklings to safety. Just like an episode of Springwatch right in front of our eyes!
Top work from Karen on booking a quality room at The Old Bridge, next to the venue (seemingly now part of the Coaching Inn Group). We spent time in the bar reviewing the papers. There was a Daily Mirror left on the table. Nothing in there. It was the same with The Yorkshire Post and their The Guide pull-out. Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel, appearing at The Picturedrome the following evening, made it into the listings, but there was no sign of HMHB. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner and the freebie Holme Valley Review were both silent on the subject. All of which left it to Metro to go to the top of the league. The Local Top Ten, compiled by Abi Bliss, featured these fine words. “The Birkenhead indie rockers are one of Britain’s biggest cult bands, thanks to singer Nigel Blackwell’s lyrics, a rabbit hole of kitchen-sink surrealism and sardonic Scouse wit.”
Looking out from our balcony, yes balcony, we looked down onto the masses seated around and about on benches outside the hotel. We gave the regal wave to John, Andrew, Ian and Mariana. Later we joined the masses. By now the band had arrived. Had a chat with Nigel and Postman Tony. I didn’t have an awful lot to contribute to their conversation about Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa though. I handed Nigel a copy of The Fortunes Of Nigel by Sir Walter Scott which had been included in our shopping at Daisy Lane earlier.
Others hanging around were Zinney, Denise, Nigel/Exford and Belfast Ian, chatting about this, that and the other. As you do. While there, we had the pleasure of listening to HMHB’s soundcheck. Sometimes you can sneak inside the venue for this, but today it was strictly behind closed doors. Three songs were played. When The Evening Sun Goes Down, Outbreak Of Vitas Gerulaitis and Bad Review. Only one of the three made it through the qualification stage to the actual set.
After this, we returned to our room with the splendid vista, to get changed into our gig togs. I went for the motorway junction number. Karen opted for The Webb. We then joined the queue back at The Picturedrome. Phil from Portsmouth said Hello, wearing his Shatner tshirt which he had bought at the show in York earlier in the year.
Huddersfield Graham and Sarah were at the head of the queue. And Tony, Matt and Andrew stood with us as we waited for the doors to open. On schedule at 7.30, we were inside, with wristbands in place. Makes you feel like you are at a proper show. Miles was in charge of merchandise, and it was nice to see Geoff at a gig again. He told me that Andy Kershaw would be turning up later. I didn’t see him down at the front, but there were positive sightings at Piccolino’s restaurant across the road.
Nigel and Jo had made the journey from Goole. Jo was complete with her arm in a sling. Broken wrist following a slip on a laminated floor. Get well soon. Drinks were being served in plastic mugs, that also had a compartment in the handle, presumably for your chaser. You paid a quid deposit, which encourages their return. At the end of these nights, you often have to negotiate your way round and over broken plastic glasses. But not here. A sign of the times, and an idea that other places will pick up on?
Belfast Ian had made a swift return across the Irish Sea. We discussed the merits of HMHB playing in Ireland. But with the best will in the world, it’s not going to happen, is it? I had a quick catch-up with Katherine and Karl, just as Sonnenberg struck up.
A couple of months back at Newcastle, Zinney had played solo when supporting HMHB. Tonight Saul was with him, seated with his tabla. Zinney said “We are proud to be labelmates of Half Man Half Biscuit,” but declared that “we are the soft spot of the label. That’s us. Deal with it.” Sonnenberg did a few songs from their latest CD. Sorry, these have not been committed to memory as well as they might have been so I can’t just rattle off the titles. In there, there was also a cover of a song (White Bird) by a band called It’s A Beautiful Day. That was certainly a new one to me. They finished with Better Together, summing up their thoughts on Brexit. Zinney is moving back to Germany in the next few weeks. That’s a loss for all of us.
HMHB entered the stage to the theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm. Thanks to Tony’s Shazam for identifying that. Nigel’s first comment was “Cracking cheese, Wensleydale.” Even though he was standing right in front of me, I couldn’t identify what Karl’s tshirt was all about. It seemed to be in the name of a group of garden centres, but with a load of band names on the back. Never mind, there are more important things in life. Carl was wearing his old favourite, the 3743BMTS one. And Neil was wearing a Richenbacher bass guitar tshirt. My knowledge of instrumentation is pretty much zero, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not this is the brand of his bass.
“Anyone here from Huddersfield?” asked Nigel. “You don’t get a medal,” he added to a number of cheers. “It’s only six miles up the road.” There was a laugh in the crowd that reminded him of someone. Ken Goodwin was suggested. “No it’s not him,” he replied. “It’ll do my head in if I’m thinking about that all night. It’s definitely not Ken Goodwin. His laugh was deeper than that.”
There was a shout to say that the sound was very quiet. (Judging from conversations after the show, I know that I was not alone in thinking that the sound was actually quite “muddy”.) Nigel replied that people should just “You Tube it later” if anyone wants to catch up with anything that they missed. He also made a recommendation to go on to You Tube to look up a band from Salt Lake City called Angle, doing their song Old People Are Following Me. He also said that people could have stayed at home to watch The Birds on TCM. Tony asked him if he meant The Byrds, to which Nigel replied “You’re not supposed to be here. Are you a hologram?” referring to Tony’s imminent trip to Italy.
After Renfield’s Afoot, Nigel said “True story, that.”
Nigel asked what was the name of the river going through Holmfirth (within a few yards of the venue). The answer was The Holme, being a tributary to Calder, and thus the Aire. Nigel said he could remember that the Aire runs through to Leeds, referring back to the time when he saw The Birthday Party there, supported by The March Violets. There was a board at the railway station advertising Radio Aire, and he made the connection from that. The closing line in Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes was that was when Nigel was saying it’s a tributary to the Calder.
I couldn’t work out the reason for Nigel saying “Ubik: Use only as directed.” He also asked if anyone knew his mate Gary Aspinall. But then he realised that Gary had moved to Upper Thong, near Nether Thong. Nigel also mentioned Hebden Bridge. “I went there once. It was shut.”
Even my note-taking got a mention. Nigel mimicked writing down “After the second song, he flung his jacket to the back of the stage.” Well, if that’s what he does, then I’ll write it down. He also said something about it after Swerving The Checkatrade. I missed what he said. That shows how good I am at this.
After Bane Of Constance and the Midge Ure / Ultravox reference, Nigel said he quite liked their John Foxx period. Neil butted in with “…And now in total contrast…”, with When The Evening Sun Goes Down following that song. At the same time Nigel repeated an old joke, addressing a particular individual. “What does DNA stand for? The National Association Of Dyslexics. Take that back to Halifax.” On the subject of Yorkshire towns, Nigel asked for clarification about the pronunciation of Slaithwaite. “Sloughit,” came the collective reply. I’m sure that’s not how a grammarian would write it. Maybe you should just ask someone from there.
Marilyn Monroe was on the scag again in 99 Per Cent Of Gargoyles. Nigel said “This is about people every night” ahead of Knobheads On Quiz Shows. Karen and I particularly took note when he mentioned Butterscotch Majestics being available in Iceland. The day after the gig, we were in their shop in The Merrion Centre in Leeds. We bought a pack of four for £1.50 and scoffed them immediately. Thanks for the recommendation, Nigel.
During National Shite Day, Belfast Ian tapped me on the shoulder to tell me that when he landed at Manchester Airport, the tram service had been replaced. Proof yet again, that life imitates art. On the line about bracing the margin, Nigel added “Like I do. Like you do,” before gesturing towards Neil and suggesting that he doesn’t.
There was some film talk, complimenting the soundtracks of Belleville Rendezvous, A Clockwork Orange and Aguirre: The Wrath Of God. “This is about our rehearsal room,” said Nigel ahead of Left Lyrics Of Practice Room. And there was a chant from the audience (well, it was one person actually) of “Neil Crossley is a bass guitar genius.”
There was also some wasp talk. There was one in the hall earlier. Nigel moved the conversation over to bees, and pointed to Neil. “He got stung by a bee the other week. Paid £22 for a jar of honey in Sainsburys.”
Nigel did some guitar miming during Time Flies By and at one point was seen to be admiring some nifty leg work from Neil. I wrote down “In My Wee Kilmarnock Bonnet” for some reason. I think Nigel referred to it in answer to a mis-heard shout about Kilmarnock. Nigel extended his repertoire to doing bird impressions. He had an admirable effort at a wood pigeon.
Sports mimes were at a minimum. We had a bit of tennis and table-tennis, as well as a spot of bowling (the cricketing version). And Nigel did the thing where he walks on his knees. Pushing his body to the limit. That involved working most of the stage, including going up the stairs at the side of it. There was a timely shout of “Why don’t you do a cover version?” immediately before they played The Clash’s Complete Control.
I reckon that the songs were as follows:
Westward Ho! Massive Letdown
Renfield’s Afoot
Bob Wilson Anchorman
Joy In Leeuwarden (We Are Ready)
Terminus
Monmore Hare’s Running
Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes
What Made Colombia Famous
Fuckin’ ‘Ell It’s Fred Titmus
Swerving The Checkatrade
The Bane Of Constance
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
Ninety-Nine Per Cent Of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd
Knobheads On Quiz Shows
National Shite Day
Left Lyrics In Practice Room
Mileage Chart
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train
Harsh Times In Umberstone Covert
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
Vatican Broadside
We Built This Village On A Trad Arr Tune
The Trumpton Riots
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Everything’s AOR
And in the encore:
Time Flies By When You’re A Driver Of A Train
Complete Control
Every Time A Bell Rings
Thanks to Karl for handing over his set list. We noted that Ode To Joyce was originally included on there, but was not played. And Vatican Broadside’s appearance was unscheduled.
Afterwards a few of us gathered in the bar at The Old Bridge. Howie and Daz were on their way for the last bus back to Huddersfield. The rest of us squeezed in a couple of beers before the 11.30 closing time. Karen, Tony, Postman Tony and I discussed the evening’s goings-on. John joined our group after Graham and Sarah left. Pretty much the same group of us gathered at breakfast, when I also exchanged a brief Hello with Andy. Later, we gave Postman Tony a lift into Huddersfield so that he could get his train back to Manchester. And we headed out of town on the M62 in the general direction of a show featuring Jeffrey Lewis and Crumbs in Leeds later on. Jeffrey is back on form, and featured a fine version of Shellac’s Prayer To God. Now there’s a song to go in HMHB’s Covers For Consideration file? We got talking to a guy on the bus back into the city after the show. Apologies for not getting his name. But with spending his time at the same two events as us over the weekend, he is clearly a man of taste.
26 June 2019
Gipton Teenager
Well what a great night that was!
Thank you to all who made the 21st such a memorable day.
We’ll get the bridge video right next time Nigel .
27 June 2019
Carrie Anne
Just to mention that Roger’s review was originally from Gez’s website – https://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/hmhb/guest/index.htm
27 June 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Recommended by Nigel….
https://youtu.be/76X7kGnCX-0
Oh I forgot Geoff Davies.
God bless you and Thanks man.
Roger Green your a National treasure….
27 June 2019
EXXO
Generally I think we can approve the minutes above, and most quibbles will be minor, involving brackets, how many words there are in village names and of course, river systems. But most importantly, I myself wasn’t ‘hanging around’ before the gig, I was of course networking purposefully, having spent the whole bus journey impressing people with my CV on ‘LinkedIn’ and pitching movie ideas. Holmfirth is the only venue where you can hear the sound-check by accident when, striding purposefully from the bus stop towards a high-level conference with fellow creatives over a liquid lunch, it would be rude to walk past such venerables as Geoff, Zinney, the KoHV, Carrie Anne and your good self without a chat. Good for potential business opportunities (any indie record labels need a hostile takeover? Any tabla-laced LIPA groups whose back catalogue we can buy up?) and very pleasant in the sunshine.
Thanks for pointing out that two of the sound-check numbers weren’t even in the show. Now that’s what I call adding value. Of course the Picturedrome is the antithesis of the kind of corporate venue that would suit the phrase “adding value”, though that brings me to question the positioning of some of your brackets there Roger, which make it sound as if it’s the venue that’s been taken over by Coaching Inns, not the hotel. Had me worried there. I’ll let you off the other brackets that make it sound like Holmfirth is ‘near the venue’. And before I forget, I’ll officially pitch my idea that next time HMHB play Holmfirth in the sunshine we should bring kazoos, etc, and play along outside with the sound-check. It was Evening Sunthat gave me that idea, of course. Doo-doo doo-doo, doo-doo, Doo-doo doo-doo, doo-doo, Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo,-doo-doo, doooo.
It was actually the first time I’ve ever seen Holmfirth in the sun, never mind the summer, although I’ve attended many, many gigs at this venue in all kinds of less clement weather. Can it really be thirteen whole years since freak asparagus showers threatened to disrupt the show? That means thirteen years since I myself TUCOLO. Avoiding proper work since, but at least now I’m a happy, successful creative force.
On this Midsummer Day, the whole valley was frankly unrecognisable, transformed by sun and verdant green. Even the low railway bridge, the whole reason why we were sat (ahem) where we were by him at the front of the bus, still avoiding capture, still at large, was disguised by abundant new greenery and so we missed it. Well OK Postman Tony missed it, and Gipton Tony just felt like he was being used.
I noticed that the third Tony (the Wizard) only arrived later on – been doing some midsummer Morris dancing? Had he presided over any stone circle solstice rituals? Alas, I had to dash off at the end for the bus and I never got to ask. I assumed that’s what Mr. B meant by “you’re not supposed to be here.”
Usually I quite like a bit of drizzle, but I agree that on this occasion everything had added value because you could do it outside in the balmy evening sunshine: drink the sumptuous and varied products in the Nook, talk to the great Andy Kershaw about what he did in expanding our musical horizons, eat the delicious harvest of the seas while watching things kill each other in the local river.
We had our pints gazing down from the Nook beer garden at a broad and noble River Ribble, believe it or not. A chip fork carelessly dropped there would then flow into the River Holme in downtown Holmfirth and on past Netherthong and Upperthong ( both one word).
But it’s the River Colne that was sadly neglected by the assembled throng. Knobheads in audiences you might say – myself foremost among them of course. The Holme flows into the Colne in southern Huddersfield, and the latter flows past the stadium (whoever it’s most recently sponsored by) and doesn’t meet the Calder for several miles on the north side of town. The Calder flows into the Aire, the Aire into the Ouse, and the Ouse with the Trent forms the Humber, by which time our little chip fork hopefully biodegrades before it chokes something. It all depends how you define ‘tributary’, I guess. I think we have to be generous on this one, otherwise it could affect our enjoyment of one of the funniest ever final lines of Lock up your Mountain Bikes
Complete Control, wow, what a song, what a delivery, what a perfect choice of cover for tonight, with Andy Kershaw (that quote) in the audience, and after the separate conversations we’d had with Mr. Kershaw and with Zinney before the gig about Probe Plus and the wonderful independence of Geoff and Nigel. But whereas Joe Strummer was bitterly lamenting the record company’s complete control of process and product, surely Nigel Blackwell was triumphantly celebrating his own complete control of both. He doesn’t yet have complete control of Mileage Chart, possibly the only song since Karl’s arrival they haven’t totally mastered yet, but it’s a brilliant song and one day they’ll nail it even better.
What a cracking gig, with enough of a critical mass in the audience that were up for it too. HMHB in sunny Holmfirth was a great way to celebrate my anniversary ! Mrs. Exford celebrated it in sunny Spain, but you can’t have everything.
So a few glasses were raised to absent company, not least to Thorsten from Hamburg of course. He’d missed his ferry on the Thursday night, meaning he didn’t arrive in the UK for his week’s holiday until around about HMHB stage time. Those who like a bit of karma will be glad to hear he ended up with a free ticket for a ska gig at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle on Saturday, because another fan offered it for free when she couldn’t go, as he did so thoughtfully himself! Vielen dank! Thence to his car club meeting in the impressive Northumbrian setting of Bamburgh, so just letting his pals know it’s been a really enjoyable holiday for him despite the unfortunate start.
To the Bat Cave …
27 June 2019
Amusing Epithet
“Drinks were being served in plastic mugs, that also had a compartment in the handle, presumably for your chaser”
The ‘chaser theory’ was one of several we posited, but it transpires the compartment is for the stacking of other similarly shaped vessels, meaning you can carry three or four back from the bar without sloshing them everywhere. Modern technology eh?!
27 June 2019
dr desperate
Excellent review, Roger. The only other lyrical deviation I can recall occurred in ‘Terminus’, in which a wolf-print fleece needed a more eco-friendly 60 degrees.
Also, I would dispute the theory that there are more important things in life than the band’s t-shirts: Karl’s celebrated Moon Wiring Club’s latest album ‘Ghastly Garden Centres’; Neil’s bass is indeed a Rickenbacker; and “Ubik: Use only as directed” is a line from the Philip K Dick novel, referencing the anti-time-regression aerosol spray last seen on Nigel’s t-shirt at The Wylam Brewery in 2016.
For me this gig stands as proof, if proof were needed, that Friday night is pizza night. Popping out for a pre-gig pie at Poppa Piccolino’s, I encountered the band, who invited me to join them at table to discuss Netflix, Jake Thackray and Preston North End, among other topics. We were soon joined by Andy Kershaw, ladies and gentlemen, Andy Kershaw, who spotted an otter (or mink, in Karen’s expert opinion) in whatever river it was, and was happy to be guided by me to The Nook when the band went off to do whatever they do before a gig.
On to The Devil’s Arse!
27 June 2019
EXXO
It was the Holme – that part is not in dispute. Karen knows a mink when she sees one and those type of walled-in, urban rivers are classic mink territory. Otters will go up a river that shallow under cover of darkness if they’re hungry, but basically it’s not deep enough for them to live there. On bigger, deeper rivers though otters take as many ducklings as anything.
Presumably Karl didn’t have a pizza at Piccolino’s as well as his burger and chips from the chippy? I did enjoy the way the two establishments faced each other across the river like symbols of clashing cultures, yourselves dining on the classier Rive Gauche of the Holme, of course.
27 June 2019
EXXO
Ooh yes I noticed the 60 degrees. Well remembered. It’s become a real live favourite of mine so a bit of lyrical variation was most welcome.
A couple of other points about Nigel’s gestures, as this was the first time I’d ever seen him without his lute:
(i) a single tap of the nostril during What Made Colombia Famous
(ii) he bats right-handed and bowls left-armed. I knew this already but just thought I’d point it out.
27 June 2019
ERH
Over from Dublin to see the band for the first time – the gig exceeded all expectations. Brilliant. Thanks to all for the informative comments, though I’m now left with the bittersweet knowledge that Ode to Joyce was contemplated but not played. Maybe next time…
28 June 2019
Transit full of keith
Intrigued to hear you were discussing Jake Thackray with the band. The mix of tetchy wit / bottomless melancholy has something in common with a few Biscuit songs maybe. ‘On again, on again’ is massively, deplorably sexist, but the jokes are so well crafted, can’t help laughing.
28 June 2019
WilF P
More information required on what exactly about Jake Thackray was discussed!
He’s one of the great geniuses of the last century, and as above, there are sometimes similarities between him and HMHB.
Would love to know more about that Holmfirth conversation!
28 June 2019
dic aberdaron
THIS IS JOE SUGDEN… SPEAKING
30 June 2019
hendrix-tattoo
This is Joe Sugden speaking
I’m controlled in the body, controlled in the mind…
https://youtu.be/2pMEEecPlc0
DIC ABERDARON: Are you who I think you are?
30 June 2019
dic aberdaron
the same 😉
30 June 2019
Nigel Stapley
“Nid yw pawb yn gwirioni’r un fath”
30 June 2019
dic aberdaron
ywd
1 July 2019